Week 43 - I'm a Trainer!

BEING A TRAINER IS AWESOME! It's been a super cool blessing to be a trainer. I was definitely nervous on the trials that awaited me by getting a brand new companion. Was he going to be lazy.. was he going to want to follow the rules.. what's he going to be like? Will I be able to teach him? Am I capable of this? All sorts of questions. But when I got him.. I knew that it was an assignment from God and that he would qualify me to do whatever was necessary to help him. Luckily, though, it's not much. He's an awesome missionary! He has such a drive for the work and I love it. We're working waaay hard! It's awesome! He's from North Carolina WOOO SOUTH. We get along great and I'm excited for this next transfer.

It's so crazy to think that everyone is so old now! Where did the time go? It's gonna be so different when I come back :( AHHH But it's okay. It's all worth it. But this week has been really good. It was nuts. I had to pretty much be a nomad on wednesday and stay in Fresno.. and sleep on the floor while I was waiting to get my companion (which was on thursday). but it was good.

We have seen some cool miracles lately as we have been working so hard. The biggest one is just how many people we are finding to teach. Right now I think we have 20 investigators with many hopes to keep increasing that number. OH how glorious this work is.

No crazy updates this week.. just pretty much same old same old. But hey...... allergies stink soooo much here!! I AM DYING. but I'll get over it. I have never had allergies like this. But that's what the valley'll do to ya! Or at least that's what everyone keeps telling me.

I hope that y'all have a wonderful week and such! I love y'all tons and am excited as well for this upcoming weekend for Easter and General Conference.

Love,

Elder Robertson

My new trainee, Elder Collins

Elder Perez at his farewell

Elder Moody at his farewell

Hermano Patino! (I think he kinda looks like the mexican version of Chevy Chase... But that's just me)

Elder Collins... Already needing a nap on preparation day cause he's just beat haha! We be workin hard!

Letter from Matt's Mission President

[We got the following letter from Matt's Mission President letting us know that he had been called to be a trainer in his mission]

Week 42 - Meeting an Apostle of the Lord

[Elder M Russell Ballard of the LDS Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came to speak at Matt's Mission. Matt didn't send any pictures of this visit, but his Mission President posted some good ones on the Fresno Mission Blog.]

Okay, so first off I'll talk about Elder Ballard. So at first, I got to meet him and shake his hand. That was awesome!!!! It was so amazing. He really has a power about him. But I was a little shocked. All of his council was so simple and so kind of like "oh, duh, that's the answer, how did I not think of that!" I couldn't believe it! It's amazing how well they are able to just stick to the simple doctrines and teach them to fit every situation. He really hit hard on the Atonement. He talked about how every time we are having a hard time in any way we just need to "go back to Gethsemane" and use that strength that we have from Christ. He also talked about how we need to stop cowering away from the grand message of the Restoration which we are taking to the world. So that was a bit of a slap in the face but I'm excited to apply it. He also kept saying like 20 times.. "If you want to teach more, talk more" Pretty much telling us to just open our mouth to everyone!

There was a lot more but that's the gist of it! But this past week was wonderful. Elder Lybbert is getting transferred! So that's sad. He is way bummed. But on the other side as well... I'm going to be training! So that's exciting!!! I'm a little nervous for sure because I am going to have to teach this new missionary everything... But I'm super excited. I know that it will push me as well to be a better missionary so that I can be the best example to him of what the Savior would do. So there's that.

We had another baptism this week!! WOOO!!! It was for Joan Plascencia! (pictures to come). He's a stud. He's only 9 but a super awesome kid. Super smart, especially with the Gospel. Something that's really cool about him is that his dad isn't a member and his mom is. His dad is super nice but kind of stubborn. He keeps all the commandments just doesn't come to church and isn't super open to the missionaries. BUUTTT his dad was at the baptism and just felt the spirit like crazy! It's so awesome. I was talking to him afterwards and you could just see that he was totally opening up and we're going to talk with him later this week! Oh the power of the gospel :)

My hand is all better so no worries! My allergies stink though..... I have never had them so bad. This valley is a total KILLER. It really is killing me health wise haha. But it just makes me rely on the Lord more so it's a blessing over all!!

Super exciting news as well! Ricardo AND Jesus got the priesthood this past Sunday. And they are both now temple recommend holders! Oh my gooodness the JOY :D they are progressing so well! And Jesus has been talking to us about the steps that he needs to take to be able to go on a mission. Oh family, I can't express to y'all the joy that I have been feeling the past few weeks seeing all of these children of God coming back to Him.

I love all of y'all soooo much. I hope you know how much of a strength all of y'all are to me! I want you each to know that you are children of God and He wants the best for you. If there's one thing I've learned on my mission is that God never gives up on us. Even when we give up on him.. He's just waiting right there for us to come back. Hope y'all have a great week!!

Love,

Elder Robertson

From Left to Right:  Elder D. Zachary Smith (the Fresno Area Seventy), Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Sister Clark (Wife of Fresno Mission President), President Clark (Fresno Mission President),  Elder Donald L. Hallstrom of the Presidency of the Seventy

Week 41 - Jesus (no, not that one) got baptized

OH man! I loved y'all's emails today! It's so good to feel the love. This week was good though! There was a wedding and a baptism! Jesus got baptized. It was so awesome! It was so cool to hear his testimony as well at the end. Oh I'm going to be friends with him forever. He is like the coolest most laid back person I've ever met. And now he's a member! Woo!

And, Vanessa and Ricardo got married as well. That was awesome. It was super good to watch that happen! It was a suuuper short ceremony but very beautiful. They were just floating on air afterwards it was so much fun to watch.

Pero una cosa que quiero decir es que no quiero hablar en ingles nada mas. Para mi esta llegando a ser mas facil a hablar y pensar en espanol que en en ingles. Por eso es dificil para mi porque estoy en un barrio ingles horita :/ Pueden traducir todo de eso para que puedan entender que estoy diciendo. Basicamente no quiero estar en un barrio de ingles... Quiero estar en un barrio de mi idioma misional!! Pero, vale la pena aqui porque he podido ver los bautismos de Ricardo y Jesus.

I hope y'all have a great trip in Utah! I'm totally jealous! But I bet it's going to be a blast :) Say hi to all the fam for me!!

Love,

Elder Robertson

Bautismo de Jesus (Jesus's Baptism)

Bautismo de Jesus (Jesus's Baptism)

Vanessa and Ricardo's Wedding

Vanessa and Ricardo's Wedding

Vanessa and Ricardo's Wedding

Vanessa and Ricardo's Wedding

Week 40 - Ricardo's baptism

Hello family!!!

So first off, hi. Second off, Dad! I absolutely love that quote from you. Come home exhausted. It is extremely inspired at this time. I have been thinking lately about how I can be a better missionary. I had an exchange with my District Leader a few days ago. He asked me, Elder,  do you feel like you are doing everything you can every day to accomplish your goals. I realized my answer to that question was no. I realized. I don't work as hard as I could. I work hard for sure! But I know that I am holding some back. So you have my word dad and family that I will do everything I can, starting now, to come home exhausted.

The baptism went amazingly!! He invited so much family and the ward knew him so well that we had over 65 people at the baptism!!!!! Isn't that crazy?!?! It was so hot in there.. haha But the coolest part is that all of his family are non-members. So, although they live in another set of missionaries area, they all felt the spirit and we're super excited to see them progress in the gospel as well!! Also, when we were getting into the font, Ricardo slipped on the first step and fell into the font and almost hit his head.. so that was scary. After making sure he was okay we proceeded and everything went beautifully! I love being a missionary. Especially when I get to see somebody enter the waters of baptism. It's always such an amazing and a humbling experience. It was also incredibly awesome to hear him bear his testimony at the end! Oh the joys of this work!!

As far as everything goes with Elder Lybbert. He is awesome. He truly is an amazing missionary and is here to work! We aren't necessary he same personality but it's okay cause we've got the work in common!!

I don't know what mission I'm going to be in or when I find out! But y'all will be the first to hear when I do! In a week or so M. Russell Ballard is going to come to our mission for a special Mission Wide Conference! It's going to be awesome. I get to meet an Apostle!!!! But I think we're going to be getting more information there!

Love y'all soo much! Hope y'all have an amazing week and keep up the faith! i love how awesome y'all's scripture studies have been!!

Love,

Elder Robertson

me, ricardo's fiance (vanessa), Ricardo, his mom, and elder lybbert

the baptism!

just playing some good ole ball

Week 39 - Getting into a groove with my companion

[Matt's brother, Tyler, found out this week that he had been accepted into BYU. In a strange Deja Vu, Tyler found out after a 2nd round loss for his high school basketball team - exactly the same as when Matt found out he was accepted to BYU.]

YESSS TYYYYLLLLERRR!!! That's so crazy that it happened like in the same way. I'm so stoked I can't even tell you! It's going to be so fun to be going to school with him!

So this week nothing really happened as far as the work goes. Nothing new. Everything is still just going on strong. Ricardo is going to get baptized this Sunday!!! LET'S GO!! I'm so excited. I really love him and his little family (well soon to be. They still are just engaged.) But I'm excited! But tons have happened with me :) I'm seriously finding myself so much! That sounds cheesy and whatever. But it's all good. I am finally seeing what it means to fully use the atonement to become better! The enabling power of the atonement is incredible!

My companion and I are getting into the groove of things with each other though. We are really figuring out how to help each other and be able to do the most effective work! It's wonderful. Even though we are very different he has helped me a lot to become the missionary that I want to be. It has been very awesome! Oh and I'm eating healthy and exercising like crazy! I feel great as well! It's going to run in the family :)

My spiritual thought today has to do with the Doctrine and Covenants. So I've been studying humility and trying to figure out how I can be more humble! In D&C 67:10 it talks about getting rid of your jealousies and fears. I realized how true that was. That the reason that I have pride before God and before other people is because of my jealousies and fears. I envy the things others have and I fear that they will notice that. I have been able to set a plan to help myself figure out how to rely more on the Lord and really take what he wants me to do and to do it. That was super mumbled jumbled but that's kind of how my brain feels today.

But I hope y'all have a wonderful week and know how much I love y'all!! Congrats again Tyler!!!!!

Love,

Elder Robertson

beautiful view from our Bishop's backyard

a gift from ricardo and his girlfriend vanessa!!

when they gave me the gift! I was so happy :D